


Words unspoken

by LittleMissKnowItAll



Category: Suits (TV)
Genre: Declarations Of Love, First Kiss, M/M, One Shot, Post-Prison, that handshake
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-11
Updated: 2016-09-11
Packaged: 2018-08-14 11:02:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,444
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8011144
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LittleMissKnowItAll/pseuds/LittleMissKnowItAll
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Harvey hasn't been sleeping well for weeks now. Mike's out, meaning Harvey should be happy right? Instead, he's thinking about that stupid handshake and all the things that are still left unsaid... And then an angry Mike shows up.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Words unspoken

**Author's Note:**

> This weeks episode might be one of my favorites already. But that handshake, come on guys. 
> 
> Spoilers for this weeks episode, obviously ;)
> 
> Mistakes are my own, Suits and these lovely characters are not (yet)
> 
> Please leave a comment if you have any thoughts/ideas/just want to say hi!

Harvey was leaning against the window, drink in hand, looking out over the city. It was evening, night even as he checked his watch and saw it had just gone past 1. Harvey knew he should go to bed, knew he had to be up again in about five hours, but he simply couldn’t. Mike had been released almost a week ago and Harvey hadn’t had a good night’s sleep since. To be perfectly honest, Harvey hadn’t had a good night’s sleep since this whole thing started. Living the lie had been the easy part apparently.

Taking another sip of his drink, Harvey closed his eyes and thought back to the moment Mike got out. It had been a sunny day, but as soon as those gates opened and a smartly dressed Mike stepped out into the world as a free man, Harvey knew the sun had nothing on this kid. Barely containing his feelings, he had to remind himself of Rachel, who was sitting in the car behind him waiting. No matter how badly he wanted to touch, to make sure it was not a dream, he had to keep his distance. For everybody’s sake.

The handshake had felt odd, a stiff gesture that didn’t fit the closeness of their current relationship. But it was the only way. Not touching Mike at all would have been out of character, even for Harvey, and Mike would have noticed right away. He also knew that if he’d let Mike initiate the contact, the two would have hugged and Harvey just couldn’t deal with that kind of closeness in that situation right now. He wanted, oh how he wanted…

*Knock knock knock knock* 

Slightly startled, Harvey opens his eyes and puts down the glass before making his way over to the door. On the one hand, he wants to yell at whoever is at the other side for disturbing him so late. On the other, a midnight knock can only mean bad news and he immediately starts thinking of accidents and funerals. 

Opening the door quickly, he is surprised to see Mike on the other side. He is even more surprised by the venom in Mike’s eyes. 

“Mike, what are you…”, but Mike cuts in before Harvey can get the sentence out.

“A handshake? A fucking handshake?!”, Mike spits out angrily and Harvey takes a step back. 

“Mike, please…calm down” Harvey says softly, too surprised by the situation to keep his usual cool. Mike’s anger is already affecting him and he isn’t sure when Mike had become owner of thát much of his heart. Trying to get Mike inside of the apartment before the yelling continues, Harvey takes another step back and motions at Mike. 

Luckily, Mike gets the hint and steps inside. He immediately paces over to the window, the one Harvey had been staring out of all night, and turns around. Harvey tries to brace himself, not sure of the direction this ‘conversation’ is going. Mike’s breathing heavily and his eyes focus back on Harvey’s face. 

“What was this, some kind of business deal? I didn’t get a slap on the wrist for tax evasion Harvey, I went to prison! I was living in constant fear for my safety for weeks. Hell, I was living in constant fear for your safety for weeks. And for what?! A fucking handshake! Celebrating a deal well done before you move on to the next case?”, Mike yells angrily, hands balling into fists. 

Harvey remains silent, his shoulders sagging as he stands in front of Mike, feeling defeated. He has never seen the other man this angry, this venomous and he honestly has no idea what to do next. He just knows that he needs to hear Mike out, for both their sakes. 

Mike shakes his head and lets out a humourless laugh. Softly, he continues, “I thought I knew you, thought I finally understood what was going on in that head of yours. But I guess I was wrong, right? Nobody gets to see the real Harvey Specter”. Mike lets out a sigh and it breaks Harvey’s heart. Now, Mike is the one looking defeated and Harvey just wants to reach out. Reach out and grab him tight, hold him close and protect him from this cold world. But the world isn’t what’s bothering Mike right now, it’s him. And that hurts the most. 

Mike is looking at the floor, no fight left in his body as he shoves his hands into his pockets, looking more vulnerable than ever. “Nobody gets to know the real you, do they…”, he whispers. Before Harvey can react, Mike storms past him, towards the door. 

Harvey quickly turns and reaches out, grabbing Mike’s left wrist and holding on. Mike stops in his tracks but that’s it, as he makes no other clear move, either towards Harvey or the door. Harvey gets it. The ball is in his court now.

Stepping closer, he moves to stand in front of Mike, not yet letting go of his wrist. “Mike”, he breathes out. Nothing. “Mike, please”, Harvey tries again. Still, nothing. Taking a small step back, Harvey let’s go of Mike’s wrist. “It’s not true, you know”, he says softly, “any of it”. Still, nothing. “Mike, please. Look at me”. And yes, Harvey is pleading now but goddammit he is desperate. 

Slowly, Mike lifts his head and his sad blue eyes meet Harvey’s. 

Harvey tries to convey his feelings through his eyes, before continuing softly “It’s not true because I did let someone in, a couple of years ago. Someone who gets to see the real me…” Cautiously, he steps closer. Mike’s eyes widen a bit, but his expression isn’t betraying his emotions anymore. His face blank, he looks tired and so, so young. 

Taking a deep breath, Harvey continues. This is it, the moment of truth, “Self-preservation”, he says and finally, finally Mike’s face becomes responsive again as a confused look crosses it. “That handshake you were wondering about”, Harvey says, answering the question Mike’s face had asked, “that’s all it was…Self-preservation”. 

And Harvey can’t help the tiny spark of hope that settles in his eyes as he looks at Mike. Because Mike hasn’t left yet. Mike is still here, his face searching Harvey’s as he breathes deeply. Harvey sees something click in Mike’s mind, as he has seen millions of times before on the cases they’ve worked on together. Slowly, Mike reaches out his left hand and places it over Harvey’s heart. 

Looking down, Harvey can’t help the soft smile on his lips as he puts his own hand over Mike’s. He waits a few beats before looking up but nothing could have prepared him for this. Mike is smiling, actually smiling widely and Harvey can’t even begin to describe how much he’s missed that smile. Deciding to take that final leap, Harvey finally says the words he’s been wanting to say for years, “I love you”.

Slowly, Mike slips his hand out of Harvey’s grasp before placing it on Harvey’s left cheek. Leaning forward, he whispers “I love you too” before finally closing the gap between their lips. The kiss is soft, filled with love and unspoken thoughts and years of waiting. Breaking the kiss, Mike leans his head on Harvey’s shoulder as he slips his arms around him. Pulling him as close as possible, Harvey presses a kiss to Mike’s hair. 

All too soon, the moment is broken as Harvey let’s go and steps back. “We can’t…What about Rachel?” And Mike can already tell he’s mad at himself for this, for being the reason Mike’s cheating on Rachel. Quickly putting his hands on Harvey’s shoulders, Mike steps closer. “We broke up that night. We had some take out, not really sure what to do. Everything just felt wrong, kissing, holding hands.” Mike sees Harvey’s eyes shift in unease as a question dances on his face. Smiling softly, Mike places a hand on Harvey’s face to get him to focus again. “We didn’t sleep together, if that’s what you’re wondering”, Mike says, looking pointedly at Harvey. “There wasn’t any time”, he adds playfully, before taking a deep breath and turning serious again, “I moved out that evening”. 

At this, Harvey pulls him close again, pressing his lips to Mike’s. The kiss is more passionate than the first and lasts for…seconds, minutes, hours. Honestly, he doesn’t know. All he knows is that he’s breathless, that his heart is beating frantically and that he needs Mike close to him, forever. Taking a deep breath, he tightens his grip on Mike’s hips as he softly asks, “Move in with me…”


End file.
